


how soon is now

by klemonn



Series: you asked for my counsel (no one asked for your thoughts) [1]
Category: Dream Team RPF, Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, And not that bad, Angst, Character Death, Death, Fear, Fluff, How Soon is Now, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, LGBTQ Themes, Loneliness, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Mutual Pining, Nightmares, Obviously not permanent AHAHGSAJGDSH, Phobia, Phobias, Pining, Pyrophobia, Reincarnation, Reoccurring Dreams, Romance, Slight Thermophobia, Song fic, Songfic, They are reborn, This fanfic is mainly venting, has fun too :), i had fun writing nonetheless so, i hope whoever reads this, it was not outlined that well, not much though, to be honest it could have come out far better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:46:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28533135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klemonn/pseuds/klemonn
Summary: “I- I don’t wanna die, p-please-” he whispered desperately.The blond-haired boy embraced him even more, his chest slowly rising and falling beneath a brown-haired head. They almost seemed to rock back and forth, like lonely seaweed at the bottom of an ocean.For a moment, the world seemed to stop.A moment.“W-we’ll meet again,” Dream said, over the crackling of the violent flames. His voice shook, but remained calm. “S-soon, I promise.”“How soon is that?”Dream didn’t respond to him.—No matter the life, Dream and George travel together. They always have.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Darryl Noveschosch, Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream & Sapnap (Video Blogging RPF), Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: you asked for my counsel (no one asked for your thoughts) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2150235
Comments: 13
Kudos: 66





	1. Of Nothing In Particular

**Author's Note:**

> • The title and song are “How Soon Is Now” by The Smiths.
> 
> • The fic will have about 8k words in total.
> 
> • This fanfic had no beta or rough draft, so it’s very messy and self indulgent. It is closer to a vent.
> 
> • For context: the DT (+ Bad & Ant) used to be ‘vigilantes’ in the first universe, AKA the first part of the story. All times take place in 2020, and this is possible due to there being two universes. After they all die in the first universe, they are reborn in the second universe in 2020, as YouTubers/streamers.

Smoke filled the caverns of George’s lungs as he shakily inhaled. The fire around him seemed to mockingly lick at his weak body, red tongues swiping across his burnt flesh. He tried to cry, but the heat eviscerated his tears seconds after they met his cheeks. He couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move.

They’d won, but at what cost?

A guttural sob echoed through him, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to stop coughing from the thick, suffocating smoke.  
George felt arms wrap around him, and he gasped- a poor decision, as it only invited more fumes to wreck his system.  
“Shhh,” he heard weak whispers as hands pressed his head into a chest. “It’s okay, darling.”  
George was shaking. His hands, his body, like a leaf in a violent storm were shuddering with every moment. He opened his eyes, just for a moment, and saw fading green ones gazing back. 

“W-where’s S-”  
Dream shook his head, and George shut his eyes again to stop himself from crying even more.  
“I- I don’t wanna die, p-please-” he whispered desperately.  
The blond-haired boy embraced him even more, his chest slowly rising and falling beneath a brown-haired head. They almost seemed to rock back and forth, like lonely seaweed at the bottom of an ocean. 

For a moment, the world seemed to stop.  
A moment.

“W-we’ll meet again,” Dream said, over the crackling of the violent flames. His voice shook, but remained calm. “S-soon, I promise.”  
“How soon is that?”  
Dream didn’t respond to him.

George felt himself growing lightheaded, and he weakly pressed his face into the older’s shoulder. Fear was running through him, so intense he thought that it instead would be the cause of his death. He clung to the last remnants of life he felt, holding on so tightly he thought that maybe he would be able to go on, maybe death would not be an option for him.  
He opened his eyes again, despite the fact all of his instincts screamed at him not to. He just wanted to see Dream’s face one more time, the freckles dotted across his face, his eyelashes brushing his soot-covered cheeks as he fell beneath.

George’s life flashed before him right then.

Dream laughing alongside him at a cafe, eyes watering up from the stupid jokes spewing out of their mouths, latte in one shaky hand and George’s in the other. How they both made eye contact when they giggled, as if the world around them ceased to exist, and they were the only ones living there.

Sapnap pressing a hand to his damaged abdomen, red-splattered glass shards strewn on the floor like crystal poppies in a field. Red liquid dripping out of the side of his mouth as prayers were chanted around him, his vision fading in and out and in once more.

Bad and him thrown across a couch at four in the morning on a Friday, a late night show playing in the background as they scrolled on their phones, tangled together. Silence filled the air between them, but a comfortable one that felt like home.

Ant laying on the floor with his eyes glazed over, scarlet slowly painting the floor beneath his rigid head, his mouth slightly open, his limbs limp. How the color flooded back when George chanted the hymn to revive him, and how his eyes seemed to glow even brighter than normal.

The five walking through the forest at dusk, the sky a cloudy, violet-tinted grey. The crunching of leaves beneath their boots, the scent of sulfur filling the air, the running towards the burning city, the takedown of the one who had terrorized them for years. 

But now they were here.

Did he believe in soulmates, or reincarnation? No. Or at least, he wasn’t sure he did until that moment. But he had to cling onto the hope that he’d meet the others once again. He couldn’t spend this one life knowing them, only to have it cut so short. There had to be more.  
_Please,_ he tightened his eyes shut, _whatever- whoever- is listening, I beg you to not let me die here. Not my soul, please. Please._  
But what could he do, but sit and feel himself slowly become incinerated next to the one who fit with him like a puzzle piece?

 _Please,_ he sobbed, _I’m so sorry._

Dream rubbed circles into his heated back, and George felt their breathing slow down. His lungs ached with the smoke inhalation, and he tried to not focus on the pain as much as he did with the blond’s arms wrapped around him. Just once, at the end could he spend thinking about how he’d go out.

Was this out with a bang, or a whimper?

“I’ll see you soon,” George whispered, but he wasn’t sure if Dream could hear him anymore.

He closed his eyes.

He remembered the smoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talk to me! 
> 
> [Twitter!](https://mobile.twitter.com/gildedobsidian)
> 
> [Wattpad!](http://w.tt/37PeQU9)


	2. The Heir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ironically, Dream has nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :3 Whoop.

He remembered the smoke.

It’d been a nightmare he had since he was a child.

Dream always remembered what the smell of burning flesh was like, mixing with the hiss of the flames and the stinging of tears on cheeks when he woke up in the midst of night. In his cold room, he would always feel so unbearably hot after being awoken from the terror.

There was always a boy in the dream.

One with hair of beautiful dark chocolate waves, but his face was always hidden in Dream’s chest. He had pale skin, fragile yet worn, as if it’d been through hell itself and back. Well, hell was a good description for the dream, he supposed.

He remembered the sound of his voice, or more the sound of his cries. They were always indistinguishable, words jumbling together and over as if they were racing to escape his mouth first. No matter what, he could never understand him, aside from one word.

Soon.

It was at the end, and sometimes in the middle if he listened close enough. One of hopelessness, as if there was something he wished for, but knew he could never achieve.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and sat up in his bed. Dream ran a shaking hand through his slightly sweaty hair, damp from the dream. His shirt clung uncomfortably to his back, and he forced himself to stand up and check the time.  
_6:00 AM._

 _Might as well get up,_ the tall boy sighed inwardly.

He stood up, his limbs feeling like they were made of jelly and hollow. This always happened after one of the nightmares. Shortness of breath, and feeling like he was about to collapse at any moment. Dream always walked it off, though, and he’d do it again today.  
Because today was a very special day.

His friend, who lived across the ocean, would be coming to meet him. Him! Bad, Ant and Sapnap weren’t able to come due to their schedules, but they would all meet up eventually. In the meantime though, it would be just George and Dream. Just them two.  
He wasn’t sure why, but the thought of being near him- not just through a screen, but in real life- made his heart beat just a bit quicker.

Dream made his way through the dark and began his shower. He reluctantly took in the way the warm water soaked him, dripping down his torso quickly. It was always so suffocating for him to shower in hot water. Most people found the hot steam relaxing, but he found it suffocating- even if they were just suspended water droplets. Ever since he was younger, he could never stand it.  
He rushed through the shower and quickly combed his hair. His nerves were eating through his skin, burning him alive and filling his veins with liquid lead. Dream pressed his hands to his face and let out a nervous, and frankly very pathetic, whimper.

Only George would make him feel so scared. Only he would make it so his heart felt like it was trying to break out of his ribcage.

Dream stared at his green, tired eyes in the mirror above the sink. Fatigue was evident on his face, having become more and more apparent through the growing months of winter. The days grew short, his skin paled, and even the hottest of nightmares became prickled with tinges of cold.  
“Eight hours,” he spoke to the reflection. “Eight hours.”  
Eight hours until he’d be able to wrap his arms around the boy who’d managed to make him fall hard through just a screen.

He could do this.

Before he knew it, the eight hours would be over. Time would pass just as quick as any other day, and it would be fine.  
_No, he should’ve gone back to sleep, so he could wake up closer to the time. But then he’d have the nightmare again that happened almost every night, and he’d have to cool down before managing to do anything._  
There was no better option.

Dream swung open the bathroom door and stepped back into the chilly air of his bedroom. Light seeped through the large curtains hanging near his bed, soaking the room in a shade of deep blue. His bed was messy from his sleep, a contrast to the rest of the clean and well-kept area.  
He exhaled as he acknowledged the scene before him, and he couldn’t help but gaze at his phone. The blond had yet to check his notifications, and the idea of getting a text about the flight filled him with nervousness, and yet excitement.

He stepped towards the bed and picked up his phone. It unlocked, and he checked the discord DMs.  
No new messages.  
He facepalmed. Duh, they were in two totally different time zones. George was probably just packing, or busy doing something related to the trip. 

_Or maybe he wants to get this over with,_ something whispered in his mind. _Imagine how disappointed he’ll be upon discovering the real you. No more hiding behind a screen, or blaming leaving a call on a headache. You’ll be put face to face with him, and he’ll see how much of a pathetic person you truly are._

Dream shook his head slightly, before placing his phone down and running a hand through his hair. Shit, there was really nothing he could do at the moment to get his mind off of anything. He could sleep, but again…  
Whatever, it was fine. He could sleep later- George would probably be tired after the flight anyways. Oh, god, the flight. Shit, he was really coming, huh? Holy shit.

His phone dinged a familiar tone, and he’d never picked it up quicker than at that moment.

**George**  
_i know it’s like super earlier there or whatever but i just wanted to say that i’m really excited and aaA i’ll probably delete this but yeah get ready bitch_

**Dream**  
_trust me i am too_

**George**  
_why are you up???_

**Dream**  
_ehh_

**George**  
_you are so weird oh my god_

**Dream**  
_says the one who messaged me saying ‘get ready bitch’_

**George**  
_stfu u should be grateful i’m even coming_

**Dream**  
_hmm_

Dream’s whole face was lit up at this point from the small conversation. He was whipped, he’d admit. He wasn’t sure what he’d do when he was in front of George, forced to show the fact he wasn’t annoyed and that he actually wanted the other to keep talking forever.  
The light from outside was becoming more golden, and he couldn’t help but smile at the passing time. God, just a few more hours.  
He let himself lay in his bed whilst he stared at the ceiling. The freckled boy’s breathing slowed as he closed his eyes gently, despite being in casual clothing. Half of him was telling him to not sleep, while the other half was telling him to just let the time go by quicker. 

And like that, his eyelids gingerly fell shut.

•+=+•

Dream woke up in a cold sweat.

It was fully bright outside, and the time was 12:37 PM. Tiny drops of sweat gathered in his hair, and his chest quickly rose and fell as he gasped for breath he couldn’t find in the dream.  
“Fuck!” He said angrily, sitting up as he tried to control the shaking.  
He shut his eyes tightly and tried to breathe in and out normally like always, but saw the dream engraved behind his eyelids. He squeezed them tighter, and tried to block out the sound of the burning buildings ringing through his ears.

He didn’t need another shower. He could just clean up, put some deodorant on and go. The fact he had let himself fall back asleep, especially so giddy, was the part that pissed him off.  
“Idiot,” Dream murmured into his hands.  
He let out a deep exhale and opened his eyes once again. His phone beeped, and a notification from George popped up.

**George**  
_heyy i just got to the airport LOL :]_

Slowly, a shaky grin crossed Dream’s face again as he picked up the small device.

**Dream**  
_if you miss your flight i will kill you_

**George**  
_if i miss my flight you won’t be able to do that_

**Dream**  
_is that a challenge_

**George**  
_maybe_

A few minutes passed by, before George sent another message.

**George**  
_sorry if this is weird btw but like  
why were u up earlier? like did something happen or did u just wake up _

Dream bit his lip as he read over the text message. He could lie and say he was fine, or he could admit to having a nightmare. Eh, the truth wouldn’t hurt.

**Dream**  
_bad dream LOL_

**George**  
_oh no :[ must have been pretty rough_

**Dream**  
_pfft no rougher than normal_

**George**  
_normal?_

The emerald-eyed man muttered a curse under his breath at his stupid slip up. He could just play it off as referring to nightmares that happen sometimes, right?

**Dream**  
_i mean like_  
_nightmares that don’t happen often or whatever_

**George**  
_oh_

Dream stared at the screen for a minute, worry crashing over him. Shit, had he said something weird? This was going to ruin the whole trip. George would immediately regret ever buying the plane ticket, he’s probably going to say his flight got cancelled

**George**  
_i have nightmares too_  
_more often than i’d like to admit ,,_

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion. George had never mentioned this to him before.  
He scrambled to think of something to type, but the other boy beat him to it.

**George**  
_i mean_  
_they’re not always terrible_  
_but they happen more often than i enjoy,,_

**Dream**  
_no me too_  
_i haven’t really told anyone this before but_  
_i’ve had common nightmares since i was really young, almost every night_

_That’s a lie,_ his inner voice rang, _it happens every night._  
_Shut up,_ he responded back to himself, although rather pathetically, _he doesn’t need to know my problems._

**George**  
_seriously ??_  
_same here, exactly the same,,_  
_are you okay with talking about yours?_

Dream paused.

**Dream**  
_another day :)_

**George**  
_ofc ofc, u don’t have to if u don’t wanna. :^)_  
_n besides_  
_they’re only dreams_

**Dream**  
_trueeee_  
_not gonna lie you coming feels like a dream_

That surely wasn’t creepy, right? It was just a genuine feeling, but there was the voice again- telling Dream that, hey! You’re going to scare him off.

 **George**  
_same here i’m sorry i just_  
_feel giddy it’s dumb_

**Dream**  
_it’s not dumb at all_  
_i feel the same_  
_i jsut kinda am worried about like looking too clingy_

**George**  
_do i look too clingy?_

**Dream**  
_no :^) im happy_

**George**  
_loser_

**Dream**  
_WHY DID U HAVE TO RUIN IT WE WERE HAVING A MOMENT???_

**George**  
_¯\\_(ツ)_/¯_

The talking went on for a while after this, the two men never leaving their screens as they continued their dumb conversations. Time seemed to go by quicker anytime George was talking to him, and yet some moments felt like time had stopped just for them.

Dream always savored these conversations they had, as if they would disappear like a dream. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had a pleasant dream that lasted with him for a while. At least in the daytime he could live happier, with George. Happiest as possible.

Even the dumbest conversations between not just George and him, but the other three… it felt as if they’d known each other for so long. As if they’d been shaped into puzzle pieces, just fit to snap into place beside one another. 

At nights, when he felt so lonely, he could just text one of them. When he was scared to close his eyes, just to experience the terrifying adrenaline running through his sleepy veins. Even through oceans and mountains, it seemed like they stood mere feet away.

His mom had told him don’t rely too heavily on his YouTube career, but for once, Dream was glad he never listened.

There was something about laying in your bed at 5 AM and staring at the ceiling while someone from another continent spoke in your ear about how their day was. Maybe it was the crippling nostalgia and sense of eeriness that crept over him in the morning hours, or maybe it was the connection of four invisible red strings that were connected around his fingers. 

But Dream felt lonely.

This was the feeling of loneliness, when no one was online for him to talk to or play with. How a sense of dread filled his stomach, when he realized that no one would respond to him. That he was truly all alone. And although it would only last until someone woke up or came back online, it was still somehow terrifying to him. Just the fact that even online, he could still be alone. What was it about that?

Sometimes he liked the feeling, though. The feeling of self inflicted terror was somehow different compared to one without control. The sensation of sinking into your mattress, with repetitive, unsettling music playing in your ears, knowing that you’re truly alone? It was scary. And yet, Dream found himself repeatedly doing this ritual. At times where no one was online at night, he would submerge himself in a sea of thoughts and fears.

Somehow, it got him by.

It would end up with him sleeping, though. Like always, he would have to sleep. The feeling of isolation from the world would quickly turn into one of distress, as the flames licked him and the coffee-haired boy he held so tightly.

**George**  
_Dream?_

Oh, shit. They were still talking, and Dream had left the other on read for five minutes.

**Dream**  
_hEY SORRY LOL Patches distracted me_

**George**  
_Awwwww :’) i can’t believe i’ll be meeting her soon_  
_speaking of which, they just started boarding aaaaaAAAAA_  
_i’ll see you in a bit, ok?_

**Dream**  
_of course :) ily, stay safe_  
_not that u have any control over it LOOOL_

**George**  
_DUDE STFU WTF_

**Dream**  
_GAHAGHAHDHDJDHSH_

**George**  
_see you dork <3 _

**Dream**  
_aww, no ily?_  
_see you. :) <3 _

_One day,_ the freckled thought as he lay in bed. _One day, maybe you’ll say it back. But you’ll never say it in the way I want you to._  
He pressed the power button on his phone.  
_But maybe I can pretend._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talk to me! 
> 
> [Twitter!](https://mobile.twitter.com/gildedobsidian)
> 
> [Wattpad!](http://w.tt/37PeQU9)


	3. I Need To Be Loved

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dream and George go AAAA at the airport.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Screams) I forgot to update today I am a fool.

Dream stood at the bottom of the stairway, where the passengers exited the terminals and went to hail a lift. He shuffled his feet nervously on the hard floor, and his knuckles turned white from the intensity that he held onto the balloons with. Yeah, balloons. He’d gotten some, because why not?

He tugged on long-ish hair, eyes glued to the top of the escalator. His heart was racing, but much more intense than what it normally felt like in relations to George. At the moment, it felt as if his heart was physically going to tear itself from the inside of his chest and beat the living shit out of him.  
The idea made him laugh slightly. Which probably made him look slightly insane, with the terrified eyes and a weird giggle escaping him. He couldn’t help it though, one look at George and he’d pass out immediately.

It was about eleven or so at night, which wasn’t late for Dream. At all. But he knew the other man was most likely going to experience jet lag, and he didn’t want to keep him up for longer than he should’ve. But god, he just… he couldn’t believe it. He would be standing right in front of him within a few minutes.  
Why was this so… not outlandish, no, that wasn’t the right word. No, why was this so insane to him? What was the reason he feared waking up from a dream like this? Christ almighty, he felt like he was going to break down.

His phone rang, and he hastily clicked “answer” and held it to his ear.  
“George?” He asked.  
A giggle came from the speaker.  
“I’m here,” he said, and Dream felt heat rise to his face.  
“How close are you?” he asked in return, rather breathily.  
“I’m leaving my gate right now, I’ll be out in a few minutes.”  
“Do you know where to go?”  
Another giggle. Dream’s heart melted.  
“Yes, idiot,” George responded. “I’m going there right now.”  
“Okay, okay.”

He stood with his phone to his ear, nearly alone by the escalator. It was surprisingly not that busy for whatever reason, but Dream wasn’t complaining. George had always had his face out there, whereas he hadn’t. So if tens of people saw a tall blond man hugging someone who suspiciously looked like George in Orlando, then word would get around far quicker.  
“It’s not too busy, tonight,” George said, almost as if he had read the other’s mind.  
“Yeah…” the blond nodded, although he couldn’t see him. “It’s good, though.”  
“Mhm,” the Brit hummed. “Privacy.”

 _Intimacy,_ Dream’s mind teased, a flush invading his cheeks.  
 _Shut up._

“Yeah,” the taller responded, clearing his throat. “How much did you pack?”  
“Not much,” he sighed, “clothes, laptop. Toothbrush.”  
Dream snorted, a smile crossing his face. “That’s surprising.”  
“What, that I know how to pack efficiently?” he could practically hear the eye roll. “You have another thing coming.”  
“I’m sure I do.”

Through his phone speaker, Dream could hear the clacking of George’s shoes on the floor. It was hard to believe that they almost stood on the same ground.  
“I think I see the exit,” the tall man heard.  
“Oh?” He breathed, a grin crossing his face.  
Silence ensued, but only for a moment.  
“Yes, it’s here,” a giddy reply came finally.  
“Are you sure?”  
A sigh. “Yes, I’m sure.”  
“Sorry, sorry.”

“I’m going to hang up now,” the Brit said.  
“O-okay,” Dream spoke back.  
“That’s okay?”  
“Yeah, yeah.”  
“Okay,” a small laugh came through.  
“Okay.”

The call ended, and Dream gripped onto the strings of the balloons impossibly tighter. He looked up, and his heart stopped.  
On the escalator was a single man. Average height, brown hair, heterochromia. Attractive.  
Looking straight at him, a pearly white grin on his face.

_Fuck._

He reached the bottom, and stepped off of the stairs. There was only a rope divider between them, alongside a few feet.  
They stared at each other for several seconds, Dream trying to take in George’s every feature. He was real, in front of him, physical in every way.  
The blue-and-brown-eyed cleared his throat, the grin still etched on his face.  
“Dre-”

Dream unsnapped the line divider from the small poles and immediately crushed George with a hug. He heard a gasp from the smaller, but didn’t back away for a split second as they embraced in the airport. He clutched onto the balloons, and hooked his head over the Brit’s.   
For a moment, time itself seemed to halt just for the two of them; who were rocking back and forth, like tangled seaweed in a flourished ocean.  
Dream pulled back after a solid minute or two, making eye contact with the boy below. They both had the same giddy, blissful expression across their faces, only becoming happier as they saw the shared feeling.

George’s hair smelled like green apples (funny, he can’t even see the color green). His hands were slightly cold around him, despite the fact he wore a hoodie and jeans. In the bright lighting of the airport, his pale skin looked almost angelic. No, it was angelic. Fuck, George was angelic. The fact he stood before Dream almost made him feel delirious.

Why did this feel so familiar, them hugging so closely? Why did Dream’s arms perfectly wrap around George’s waist, holding him close so perfectly, like they were carved from the same wood? Or how the brown-haired boy’s face could be buried perfectly in the crevice of his neck, or how the pale arms could wrap around his neck so perfectly?  
To none of these questions did Dream know the answer to, but he could care less.

“Hey,” the American said, his voice barely above a whisper.  
“Hi,” George said back.  
“You’re here.”  
The smaller giggled.  
“I’m here,” he nodded.  
“For two weeks.”  
The shorter playfully slapped his chest. Dream felt like he was going to burst.  
“We discussed this god knows how many times, are you going to be surprised when you realize I’m staying with you?”  
“Shut up.”

George laughed and shook his head, and they finally broke completely from the hug. Dream’s arms felt so much colder.  
“Now help me with my luggage, since apparently I’m such a dwarf.”  
“Aww, don’t say that, you just need some stilts.”  
“Dream!”

•+=+•

“Wow, that’s actually all?” Dream asked, looking at the small suitcase in the trunk of the Über.  
“I told you, I’m a small packer,” George replied as he began to open the car door.  
“But like, that’s gonna last you the whole two weeks?”  
“It has before.”  
The blond only nodded with a small ‘huh’, and shut the trunk. He slid in next to George in the Über, and they drove off. Soft music played in the background, but he paid no mind to it.

Thankfully, the driver was one of those drivers who said nothing on the way. He didn’t think he’d be able to even maintain a conversation at the moment, not with how close George was to him in this tiny car, or how their hands were just mere inches away from brushing each other.  
Dream looked over at the brunet, and saw him looking outside at the Orlando surroundings. He couldn’t help but stare at the fascinated guest. He looked over the man, George’s eyes of earth and sea gazing out the window and at the passing buildings. The city seemed to be quite beautiful at night, even if England had the same experience.

“You like it?” the younger asked, slightly anxious.  
“Yeah,” George’s smile never disappeared.  
He looked over at the other, his brown hair nearly flopping over an eye and a playful look on his face.  
“You don’t need to be so nervous,” he continued, examining Dream’s flushed face,   
“-I promise I like it,” he added softly when the blond didn’t respond.  
Dream nodded, quickly looking away while even more heat rose to his face. Thankfully, the dark blanketed his rose face, with the only light being the occasional yellow beams from the passing streetlights.

His eyes lowered to the empty seat between them. His hand sat naturally by his side, and George’s by his. But there was a tiny distance between them, that could just be filled so easily in the small car if he _just_ reached out. Just a tiny little bit.  
Dream turned back to the driver’s seat in front of him.  
 _Don’t do it,_ his voice warned.  
 _Fuck you._  
He extended his pinky.  
It brushed the pale one.

 _Fuck, you idiot, this is so WEIRD,_ the blond’s mind screamed, and Dream inwardly cringed. _You idiot, this is so weird, this is so, so weird-”  
His thoughts were brought to a halt when he realized his hand was no longer alone. A porcelain one now rest ever so slightly below it, soft and chill. Dream looked over subtly, and saw the Brit staring out the window intently. He followed suit, staring out his own window at the passing city lights. His mind, of course, was elsewhere, mainly focusing on _his hand is beneath mine, his hand is beneath mine. His hand is beneath mine.__

_He let out a shaky breath, running a hand over his mouth and letting it fall gently onto the door’s arm rest. Dream let his eyes fall shut slowly, and he laid his head back against his seat carefully. The music playing seemed to become louder once he acknowledged the quiet._

__How can you say I go about things the wrong way?_ _

_Dream snorted lightly. If George had heard, he showed no signs of doing so._

__I am a human and I need to be loved…_ _

_He bit his lip at the lyric that passed through the speaker, suddenly wishing the song would change. If he had to listen to one more song involving love while the boy he was infatuated with’s hand rested beneath his, his insides would implode on themselves._

__…just like everybody else does._ _

_Oh.  
Just like everybody else does.  
Just like how George did. Anyone passing by in cars. Walking by him on the sidewalks, running past him in the airport. How many of them wanted love, and maybe would eventually find it. And how one day he might be left all alone, the team abandoned because he was the last one left alone. That’s who he was. The last one who could never get what others had._

_What, or who he wanted._

__There's a club if you'd like to go, you could meet somebody who really loves you._ _

_Dream loved George. George didn’t love Dream. Or not in the way he wanted him to. So maybe the song was onto something. Maybe if he ever caught a girl glancing at the smaller for a second too long, or someone sliding a piece of paper with a series of numbers along it, he would sit there and plaster a smile on his face. Pretend like he didn’t want to be the one waking up next to George in the morning, or how he didn’t want to be the one pressing kisses on his forehead as the sun sank behind the trees, or how he didn’t want to hug him from behind on a sofa while they laid there, slightly sleepy and too dazed to move._

_So what, he wanted to come home one day and see George on the couch, reading? Maybe he’d come from behind the chair and hug him from the back. Or maybe he would sit next to George and pull him into an inescapable hug, nuzzling his face in his neck and peppering kisses along the back. The sun would shine through the curtains and highlight the letters on the pages, and dip George’s eyes in a honey liquid. Music would play softly in the background, or maybe there would be a sunny shower outside.  
It wasn’t his fault._

__So you go and you stand on your own, and you leave on your own, and you go home and you cry, and you want to die._ _

_A creative way of putting it, he supposed. It mostly applied to him. Constantly being there in the shadows, watching as his peers climbed higher and higher than him.  
It wasn’t just about money._

__When you say it’s gonna happen now, when exactly do you mean?_ _

_All of his friends got what they wanted all their life, or even just for a little bit.  
When was his turn?  
Dream had gotten his success, but everything else seemed to just tease him. Out of his reach just enough, to where the possibility of getting it was just an illusion.  
Everything was so close, yet so far._

__See, I’ve already waited too long._   
_And all my hope is gone._ _


	4. Just Like Everybody Else Does

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They go home.

“Welcome to paradise,” Dream grinned wildly, his teeth showing as he dramatically gestured in front of his house.  
“Wow,” George laughed quietly, a smile on his face too. “This is so nice.”  
“You haven't even seen the inside yet. You think your organization skills are good? You’ve got another thing coming.”  
“Pfft, bet. I just came to see Patches.”  
“Uh-huh, that’s an expensive pet visit of a trip.”  
“As if I’d want to see you, you’re too… weird.”

Dream rolled his eyes.  
“I believe the term you’re looking for is ‘tall.”  
George scoffed, quickly looking at the other dramatically. “You’re not that tall.”  
 _I am that tall,_ was all Dream could think. _You’re so cute, below me._  
“Uh-huh,” was all he had to say.  
The blond fumbled with his keys and finally held the correct one firmly, before inserting it into the keyhole. With a quick turn of his wrist, he opened the oak door and stepped inside. The familiar scent of his home swirled around him once again, and he turned to see his friend shut the door behind them. His suitcase plopped on the floor, the wheels slowing to a halt.

“Well, what did I say~?” Dream asked, a smug look on his face.  
His house was always clean, like he had said. It was something he’d always enjoyed, the feeling of cleanliness in the air. It let him breathe better- if there was too much dust, he’d feel trapped. His tolerance for such things was way lower than the average person, but he didn’t really care. It could let him brag about having a cleanass house.  
George’s eyebrows merely raised, and he tilted his head slightly and nodded.  
“I mean, wow,” he said, pretty British accent soaking his words, “I wasn’t… expecting this.”

Dream let out a proud ‘heh,’ and gestures towards a room over on the right.  
“That’s the guest room,” he continued. “You’ll stay in there, so put your suitcase there. Use the bathroom, charge your phone, or whatever you need to do.”  
George nodded, but right then, a growl interrupted the conversation. The brunet’s face flushed red, and the jade-eyed smiled.  
“Hungry?” he asked, rather playfully.  
He received a nod from the older, and he reached into his pocket to fish out his phone.  
“Pizza okay?” he asked again.  
“Sure.”

And with that, George lifted the suitcase and went into the guest room.  
Dream couldn’t help but crack a smile at the reality of the situation. How he was actually standing there, ordering a pizza for him and his close friend at eleven at night, who would then sleep in separate rooms. But maybe Dream could hug George on the couch, subtly snake his arm across fragile shoulders, pull his head closer to rest on his shoulder-  
“Dream, have you even ordered it yet?” An annoyed tone broke through his daydream.  
Dream’s head snapped in the direction of the sound, to see George standing in the doorway of his temporary room. A cat brushed against the shorter boy’s leg.  
“Oh, sorry- oh, you met Patches!”  
A smile reluctantly took over George’s face, who then looked down to see the small animal. The American could tell the other was a sucker for cats, especially after all the ones he’d had.

“She’s very cute,” the Brit said, baby voice activating. “Aren’t you? Aren’t you a cute ‘lil girl? Yes you are-”  
“She’s not a dog, George.”  
The unique-eyed boy let out an annoyed, but playful huff and looked back up. His hair was just slightly curly from having most of the day without being able to do anything about it, and Dream was living for it. Man, he should send the other on planes more often.  
They held eye contact for a second too long, and Dream quickly broke his gaze from the other man’s.  
“So, um,” he diverted the subject, “do you wanna watch a movie?”  
George’s lips quirked up. “Sure, what do you have?”

“Well…”  
Dream absentmindedly listed off the options for the movies. After back and forth “whatever you want,” they managed to have narrowed it down to about three or so movies. George picked out of them (reluctantly) after the other had fought him, saying that since he was the guest he should be able to choose the movie. It was a sappy romcom, one with a score of about 64% on Rotten Tomatoes.   
Yeah, they were vibing.

“Well now that’s sorted,” George said.  
“Yup.”  
“So,” Dream shifted, “how was your flight?”  
The Brit shrugged, a clear answer.  
“It was alright,” he responded. “I had my headphones, but this one baby just kept screaming…”  
“Now you know what it’s like being in a voice call with you.”  
“Dream!”

The blond wheezed and went into the kitchen, George following behind.  
“Well, that’s a shame,” the American said after a moment of laughing. “Hopefully the way back is easier for you.”  
George snorted. “God, I hope. What have you been doing all day?”  
Dream inwardly cringed at himself. _Waiting for you._  
“Nothing really,” he said vaguely. “Just cleaning up for you.”  
The shorter let out a small laugh. “How nice.”  
“Of course, how could I not tidy up for the packing master?”  
“I- you’re so annoying.”

Dream grinned and put two plates on the counter. He reached to the cabinet with the glasses and brought two down, setting them next to the plates. He looked over at George and saw him standing by the fridge, unsure of what exactly to do. He looked, frankly, adorable like that. His gaze seemed so curious, and his sweatshirt made him look so tiny next to him.  
The way his brown hair seemed to curl over his forehead, since it had grown out. It was so fluffy, so endearing, and made him so tempted to brush it out of his porcelain face. Maybe he’d move it, caressing his face as he did so. Maybe he would even bend down slightly, planting a kiss on his cheekbone, to his nose, and-  
The paler decided to look over and make eye contact with Dream. The tanned panicked as they looked at each other for a way longer amount of time than necessary. Imagine going to look over at your friend, only to see him creepily staring at you. 

Dream cleared his throat and whipped his head away, heading towards the kitchen’s exit.  
“I’ll get the movie started up, let me know if the pizza guy gets here.”  
And with that, the green-eyed man walked out of the room. He could feel George’s eyes on him from behind, but tried to ignore the burning feeling digging into the back of his head.

He made his way to the living room and started the TV, moving back and forth on the wooden floor.   
_You’re so creepy,_ he let out a breath. _Who holds hands with a friend, and then stares at him? He probably saw you out of the corner of his eye. Idiot._  
Dream anxiously flipped through the movies on Prime before reaching the one they were to watch. He couldn’t help but giggle at the shitty cover of the movie, a poorly done “two inches away from kissing” still.  
 _Oh, don’t pretend. I bet you wish that was you. Holding him like that, right? Snap out of it._  
He grit his teeth and set the remote down, almost agitated. The hairs on his arm seemed to stand up, despite the air being warm.

“Dream!” He heard George call. “Pizza’s here!”  
He took a deep breath and followed the British accent back to the kitchen, seeing the man now have two boxes. His irritation from his own mind seemed to melt away at the scene.  
“Nice, nice,” he approved, moving over next to George.

They grabbed their food and drinks, and moved into the living room. There were blankets and pillows there that Dream had placed, having prepared for this little event. He didn’t want anything to go wrong, and was attempting to get even just the first night done. But he couldn’t fall asleep, especially with _him_ right next to him. No, no, no.

“This is nice,” George broke in through Dream’s thoughts.  
Dream blinked, and then nodded.  
“Yeah,” a small smile came across his face. “Definitely.”  
“One day we’re gonna do this with Bad and the others,” George went on. “That’s gonna be so fun.”  
Dream broke out into a large smile, and George followed suit.  
“That’s gonna be really fun.”  
“We can all, like, cuddle together, like how Sap said that one time.”  
“Ohh, yes, yes.”  
 _I want to cuddle you. Is that so bad? To want to hold you close, until we fall asleep? You’re so close to me, so near me. Our legs are nearly brushing. And yet you’re so far away. Just out of my touch. That’s how you like it, right?_

Dream swiftly grabbed the remote and pressed the play button, setting the small device aside as the movie began its introduction sequence. He breathed in deeply yet subtly, and felt George shift in his seat next to him. He maneuvered under the single blanket they shared, and felt the warmth of George’s presence beneath it.

Dream hated heat. He never liked this feeling, or the closeness of shared warmth. Like steam, it always made him feel trapped somehow. Suffocating, even in what should be a comfortable position. It engulfed his skin, made it feel like his chest was being squeezed and collapsed.  
But there was something different about it with George, he found. He felt… almost connecting, in a way. It lured him in, made him want to get closer. He wanted to hug him again, like at the airport, but longer, and tighter. Wanted his warmth entangled with his own.

He forced himself to focus on the movie, but at the same time, was trying to not black out at him and his friend’s closeness. Yes, he was an idiot, no, there was nothing he could do about it. A lovesick idiot, but an idiot nonetheless. One day, it would all come crashing down. But for now, they could sit there, and pretend like everything was normal.

Everything was totally normal.

Time passed normally, and yet so syrupy. Dream felt as if he could count every breath that had been taken in the past few minutes, or how many times he’d shifted in his seat, or how many times George had licked his lips. How long had it been? Half an hour? An hour?  
“Dream?” he heard a small murmur.  
The host turned his head towards the noise, and saw George looking slightly up at him. His heart did a fluttery thing from the angle, and he made himself nod.  
“Yeah?” he asked breathily.

“Can you pause the movie? I have to pee.”

Dream stared at the brunet for a moment, before nodding and pausing the movie. The smaller got up and walked away into the bathroom, leaving the other man all alone.  
He stared at where George had walked off to for a moment, before sighing and closing his eyes for a moment. He’d grown tired, especially in the past few minutes, but didn’t have the heart to leave the other alone. 

And of course, the nightmares.

Fuck, he was tired. His eyelids felt as if they were made of bricks, weighing themselves down, and he shut them hesitantly.  
 _Feels good…_  
 _Don’t be fooled._  
 _Let me pretend, like I can do this. Just for a moment._  
His thoughts quieted, but not completely. It was like lowering a television, the thoughts going from loud to just muffled murmurs in the background. He didn’t want to focus, though. He didn’t want to think about how this moment would end.

George came back, and Dream was about to open his eyes before he felt the weight in the sofa shift once again. Unsure of what exactly to, he kept his eyes shut, even leaning over slightly. His heart raced, and his body tensed.  
 _This is weird._  
He felt a weight against his side, and a head on his shoulder. Fluffy hair tickled his cheeks, soft and wavy. The subtle scent of granny smith apples overtook his senses, and he fully relaxed. His eyelids and shoulders fell. Their hands touched beneath the blanket, and the blond didn’t even bother hiding him grabbing the other’s. He squeezed, running a thumb over the pale knuckles.

_I am a human, and I need to be loved._

Dream inhaled and exhaled through his noise, breathing in the presence of George and inhaling it whole. He relaxed back in the seat, the final half of the pizza remaining in the box across from them forgotten. Words left unspoken between the two boys, the scent of pine mixing with that of fruit. He laid his head upon the brown curls, and felt his world slowly drift away.

_Just like everybody else does._

That night, Dream didn’t have any nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! 
> 
> [Twitter!](https://mobile.twitter.com/gildedobsidian)
> 
> [Wattpad!](http://w.tt/37PeQU9)


End file.
